This paper presents findings of a study that examined the impact of year-round education on academic achievement in a large Utah school district. Student-achievement data for years 1990-95 were compared by type of school schedule. A case-study component examined the impact of school schedules used by two elementary schools--one adhered to a traditional calendar and the other followed a multitrack year-round calendar. Data were gathered through interviews with all four administrators and all six fifth-grade teachers and through a survey of 114 fifth-grade students and 123 parents. Multitrack schools appeared to provide a slightly superior educational experience for students in terms of enhancing reading ability as well as in terms of increasing the bottom of the range of scores within a school. Parents of both school types generally supported their respective school programs and calendars. Student academic performance in multitrack year-round schools over a 6-year period exceeded the performance of students in traditional schools, while nonacademic outcomes were roughly equal. The findings also identified issues that required more attention--issues of support services, inservice and professional development, staff collaboration and communication, and vacation time. However, administrators believed that these difficulties could be overcome by utilizing different communication strategies, by changing the timing of inservice activities, by extending school activities into the community, or by sponsoring a variety of public events. Some criteria for examining the efficiency of school schedules are suggested. Clarification of the distinctions between those school differences that are conceptual and those that are operational is important. Three tables are included. (Contains 24 references.) (LMI)